In 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein from power. Since then, the security situation has been very instable in the country.In 2014, an insurgency escalated into a full-scale military conflict with ISIS expanding in large areas in Iraq. Over the next three years, Iraqi security forces, supported by some global and local powers, were working to push ISIS out of the captured territories. Iraqi forces made significant gains and started storming the last remaining ISIS stronghold of Mosul.

Late on October 15, Iraqi government forces launched a military operation to take back the area of Kirkuk from the Peshmerga, the military force of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

According to Iraqi sources, the 9th Armoured Division, the Federal Police and Iraqi Special Operations Forces, widely known as the Golden Division, entered Kirkuk city, K1 Airbase and the Khaled military camp as well as some oil fields in the city’s countryside.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) released a statement saying that the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) are involved in the operation. The KRSC also claimed that the Peshmerga destroyed at least 5 Humvees belonging to the PMU.

On October 16, Lieutenant Colonel Salah el-Kinani, of the 9th Armoured Division, told Reuters that the objective of the army advance is to take control of the K1 Airbase.

Pro-Kurdish sources denied any gains by the government forces.

Earlier, the KRG-linked media claimed that PMU units deployed near Kirkuk are embedded with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Last Friday, the US designated the IRGC a terrorist group. So, KRG authorities may seek to gain more support from the US with these claims.

Formally, the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk and its oil-rich countryside are not a part of the Kurdish autonomous region. However, KRG forces seized it in 2014 when Iraqi forces were facing setbacks in the war again ISIS. Now, the KRG clearly aims to include the area in a Kurdish state that it is seeking to proclaim using the September 25 independence referendum as a pretext.

This fiasco may destroy the current PUK structure as will also affect the KRG overall.
Also, It is likely that Kurds will mount a counterattack to retake Kirkuk from Iraqi invaders.
@jenanmoussa was trapped in Kirkuk and reported that Kurds are very angry about the invasion.

Barba_Papa

Kirkuk is in Iraq. How can the Iraqis invade their own country? Even if its part of the KRG, even that entity is still part of Iraq.

Kennethllindsy

OK. Anytime you have to send in hundreds of tanks and thousands of troops to fight the locals of a city or region, it is definitely an invasion.
What you are really asking then, is that invasion “lawful?”
Maybe, maybe not.
But it is definitely a Public Relations Disaster of Greatest Magnitude.
The referendum dust up was caused by Barzani, but Kirkuk was controlled by the PUK which was a different party, more friendly to Abadi & Iran than Barzani.
So net effect is bad for PUK & Abadi & Iran.

Solomon Krupacek

so, little yankee, lincoln made invasion?

Kennethllindsy

Obviously, that’s why is known as the “War of Northern Agression,” in the USA.

Solomon Krupacek

i never learned such name. maybe some white trash ornagizationns call it so.

Virgil Cane

no that’s what every southern soldier called it at the time of the war.

Jonathan Cohen

ABORTION RIGHTS FOR KIRKUK!!!!

dontlietome

Mmmm, shame your mom didn’t take advantage………………… dickwad.

matt

still now, but it won’t stay like that. borders change on this planet and the borders of iraq, made by europe will change in the end..

Solomon Krupacek

kurds will be eliminated, if will jump too high

matt

so you are in favour of a 30 million people genocide? nice one solo!

Solomon Krupacek

only high jumpers. this is several thousand.

Ronald

Four nations , Turkey , Syria , Iran and Iraq will be thrown into civil wars if this Kurdish nation fantasy is attempted . It will be stopped or millions will die .

matt

Those nations could mayebe start giving their minorities EQUAL rights?

Solomon Krupacek

in iraq kurds have autonomy.

matt

But, that might not be enough, if baghdad wants most of the oil money

Ronald

Both in Iraq and in Syria the Kurdish have been granted a fair amount of autonomy . That is not to forget that the national government has the only power to make or break treaties with outside foreign powers , control borders , keep the peace between different provinces , etc .
Equal Rights , Democracy , sounds like the dream to strive for , but don’t die for . Those words are “Fighting Words” as everyone has a different definition of what is equal .
While I love Kurds , I hate that they are too blind to see that the US is just using them just as they used the Wahhabi’s , ISIS and Al Qaeda , break and destroy .

matt

Huh? Autonomy in Syria?? They created it themselves! Daddy assad was very bad with the kurds and son isn’t much diferent…
And who are you to decide what a fair amount is? (For iraq that is)

Ronald

You wish to blame the Iraqi and Syrian governments for the American wars against them . America is at least ten times larger and more powerful than both of them . As you know Iraq fell to Bush , dismissed the Sunni army and turned it loose against both nations as ISIS , camped on the oil fields and a few people got rich . This army was well trained by eight years of war with Iran .
Daddy Assad had the Muslim Brotherhood to deal with , and yes he was tough .His son however tried to re-balance with the Kurds , he is very different .
I will not decide what is fair , except for me , suggest likewise for you , getting killed in some silly war is not fair for your daughter or you .

matt

No, i do not wish to blame them! But i think the people in the ME deserve better goverments. The usa just make things worse, i do not expect anything good from them.

matt

Yeah, the national governments of Iraq and Syria did a wonderfull job there, controling the borders and keeping the peace….

Barba_Papa

Borders always change and countries disappear, as new ones appear. Who still remembers the Habsburg Empire? The Ottoman Empire? The Byzantine Empire? The Mongol Empire? They all used to be major players at some point and now they’ve disappeared on the dustbin of history. That’s the nature of things.

That being said, Iraq has not been dissolved yet and the Kurds still don’t have a state. And history is also full of examples of peoples who tried to create their own nation. And failed.

matt

And mayebe they will fail, sure do possible

Barba_Papa

That is a possibility. It is however in no one’s interest but the Kurds, and Israel, to see the current borders redrawn. Since they are in an isolated landlocked position surrounded on all sides by hostile neighbors, who all have superior firepower, chances are this attempt at creating a Kurdish state will fail.

Wahid Algiers

The internet is full of reports that the great kurdish fighters are running. They leave own injured comrades back who are now treated by the Iraqi paramedics. Big kurdish mouths. It seems that the Iraqi army, PMU and spec ops are only interested in key locations and not in a war with the kurdish girlies.

jack

PUK betrayed the Kurds and let the PMU in.

robert wa

If the kurds get there way the land will become an extension of America, that can never be good for peace

matt

this wil not create peace either

FlorianGeyer

It is high time, especially with all the evidence of illegal wars and coups that the US Military was declared a Terrorist Group.

Gabriel Hollows

Ah, kurdroaches getting BTFO. What a lovely day!

matt

another stupid racist comment

Solomon Krupacek

no racist. maybe nationalist

matt

uhh, so kurds can not be nationalist? who are you to decide wich group can be nationalist?

Solomon Krupacek

can be. but if will split country, must die.

General Surena

2 days ago GHASEM SOLEİMANİ was in ıraq. . and kerkük fell because he wants.
kurds and usa will be the BİGGEST LOSERS here.. wait for it.